Banner SQL 101 - University System of GeorgiaBanner Population Selection SQL • What is a Population Selection (PopSel)? • Banner gives you a way to create SQL within INB to select

Banner SQL 101

Georgia Summit 2013

Thursday, September 19th3:10pm - 4:00pm

Estes B

Zachary HayesAssociate Registrar

Georgia Institute of Technology

Monday, September 23, 13

Introduction• Who is this guy?

• 10 years within USG

• Self-taught SQL and Banner

• Where does he work?

• Banner 8.5 / Oracle 11g

• Enterprise Information Systems

• Technical Analysts, Developers, DBAs

• Office of the Registrar

• Business/Information Analysts,Assistant Registrar for Technology

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Disclaimer

• I am not an expert

• There may be better ways to do this

• Your user access may not permit table queries

• Your IT staff may not want to help you

• For ages 5+ side effects may include headaches and nausea

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Agenda

• SQL Basics

• Data Dictionary

• Banner Population Selection SQL

• Banner Oracle SQL

• Questions

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SQL Basics

• What is SQL?

• Structured Query Language (programming language)

• Used to manage and query data within relational databases

• Database > Schema > Table > Column > Value

• BPROD > SATURN > SPRIDEN > SPRIDEN_ID > 900012540

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SQL Basics• SELECT

• What columns do you want to select?

• Banner ID, first name, confidential indicator, major

• FROM

• What tables do you need to work from?

• SPAIDEN, SPAPERS, SGASTDN

• WHERE

• How do you narrow down the data you really want?

• only Zach’s, not confidential, in ME

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SQL Basics

• SELECT

• Item

• FROM

• Fruit Basket

• WHERE

• Item is an Orange

• Item is Out of Basket

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SQL Basics

• SELECT

• Item

• FROM

• Fruit Basket

• WHERE

• Item is an Orange

• Item is Out of Basket

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SQL Basics

• Joins

• If you are querying more than one table, you have to join them

• Aliases

• Easy to give a nickname to a table when you are using more than one

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• gb.Item

• FROM

• Grocery Bag gb, Fruit Basket fb

• WHERE

• gb.Item equals fb.Item

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gb

fb



• gb.Item

• FROM

• Grocery Bag gb, Fruit Basket fb

• WHERE

• gb.Item equals fb.Item

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gb

fb


Data Dictionary• What are Banner tables and columns named?

• Banner Dynamic Help Query

• Within INB, click a field you want to get information on

• Select Help > Dynamic Help Query

• Popup will usually show you the column name from the database

• When in doubt, ask your technical staff

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Data Dictionary

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Data Dictionary

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Data Dictionary• Oracle Data Dictionary

• Read what Ellucian may have included in the Oracle Data Dictionary

• ALL_TAB_COMMENTS

• ALL_COL_COMMENTS

• Will need to query via a SQL tool (SQL*Plus, SQL Developer, Toad, etc)

• Will need access to query the database directly, and may need additional access to these views

• When in doubt, ask your technical staff

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Data Dictionary• ALL_COL_COMMENTS

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Banner Population Selection SQL

• What is a Population Selection (PopSel)?

• Banner gives you a way to create SQL within INB to select students from tables that meet the criteria you specify

• This gives you a way to run processes, reports, or letters against a targeted audience

• PopSels are limited in functionality, especially as the student system becomes more complex, but it is all we have to work with within INB

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• Where can I get more help?

• From your Banner Bookshelf, find the Banner General User Guide and readChapter 5 - Population Selection

• Of course, keep your technical staff handy(and happy!)

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• GLISLCT = Population Selection Inquiry


Banner Population Selection SQL• GLISLCT = Population Selection Inquiry

• Query PopSels within an Application

• Easy way to browse others and your own (given the name and description are worthwhile)

• Quick way to tell who has run one of your PopSels (let them know if you change something in your SQL code)

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Banner Population Selection SQL• GLRSLCT = Population Selection Definition Rules

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Banner Population Selection SQL• Application

• Group like PopSels by office or function for easier management

• Selection ID

• Create a meaningful name up to 30 characters

• Creator ID

• Only the Creator can change the PopSel (unless it is copied by another user, but don’t!)

• Description

• Create a meaningful description up to 30 characters19


Banner Population Selection SQL• Manual

• Banner will auto-join PIDMs between tables, but checking Manual means you want to be in control and do the joins yourself

• Locked

• If checked, only the Creator ID can run the PopSel and view the Extract Inquiry

• Delete

• Delete the PopSel, only after you (and your co-workers) have purged their Extracts from the PopSel

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Banner Population Selection SQL• Select

• Must be a _PIDM column that is defined in the data dictionary<table_PIDM>

• From

• Must be a table defined in the data dictionary

• Separate multiple tables with a comma <table1, table2>

• Can assign an alias to a table <table1 alias, table2 alias>

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Banner Population Selection SQL• Rules (Where)

• Data Elements

• use LOV button to see Banner version of the data dictionary

• Operator

• [=] equals ; [<>] does not equal

• [>] greater than ; [>=] greater than or equal to[<] less than ; [<=] less than or equal to

• [in] part of a list ; [not in] not part of a list22


Banner Population Selection SQL• Operator (cont.)

• [like] matches a pattern ; [not like] doesn’t

• use underscore _ for single character

• use percent % for one or more characters

• [is null] empty field ; [is not null] not empty

• don’t type anything in the Value field

• [between] >= low value and <= high value

• use for number and date type columns

• use AND between values (ex: between 1 AND 10)

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Banner Population Selection SQL• Value

• Number

• Character

• use single quotes (ex: ‘BSME’)

• Date

• use single quotes (ex: ’20-SEP-2012’)

• don’t use [=] Operator for dates because many Banner dates include a time stamp

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Banner Population Selection SQL• Value (cont.)

• Database Column

• Dynamic Parameter

• lets the user enter a value on the fly

• use a meaningful name

• format as &parameter (ex: &AdmitTerm)

• Subquery Variable

• only one per PopSel Definition Rule

• place as the last line of the Rules

• format as (*SUB variable) (ex: (*SUB *MaxEffTerm))

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Banner Population Selection SQL• Parenthesis

• allows you to order statements

• up to three nested statements per PopSel

• the number of ( must equal the number of )

• And / Or

• every line but the last should have one

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Banner Population Selection SQL• GLIVRBL = Variable Inquiry

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Banner Population Selection SQL• GLIVRBL = Variable Inquiry

• Query Variables within an Application

• Easy way to browse all variables (given the name and description are worthwhile)

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Banner Population Selection SQL• GLRVRBL = Variable Rule Definitions

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Banner Population Selection SQL• GLRVRBL = Variable Rule Definitions

• Allows a creation of a subquery that can help narrow down records, for example when there is a one to many relationship (SGASTDN) or when you need to manipulate a field first (SOAHOLD end date plus 30 days)

• Must use aliases appropriately so the subquery can be embedded in the main query

• These can get complex, so make friends with your technical staff

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Banner Population Selection SQL• simple example 1

• Which Banner records have a first name of Zachary, a last name of Hayes, and a middle name that I can’t remember right now but I know it starts with a H?

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• Which Banner records have a birthdate equal to 18-FEB-1981?

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Banner Population Selection SQL• advanced example

• Which students have an active student status, who were admitted in Term X, who have declared Degree Y, as of Term Z?

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Banner Population Selection SQL• advanced example

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Banner Oracle SQL• PopSels are handy, but what if

• you need more data than just a student ID

• you need more than one subquery

• you need an outer join

• you need data outside of Banner’s standard schema (ex: DegreeWorks database)

• Roll up your sleeves, make friends with your IT staff, and query the tables directly!

• If you have mastered SQL within PopSels, you already have a solid foundation to work from

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Banner Oracle SQL• simple example 1

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Banner Oracle SQL• simple example 2

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Banner Oracle SQL• advanced example

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Banner SQL 101

Questions?

Zachary Hayes

[email protected]

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Documents

Banner SQL 101 - University System of GeorgiaBanner Population Selection SQL • What is a Population Selection (PopSel)? • Banner gives you a way to create SQL within INB to select